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Magic in Ura by Sinthaster
Back to the Writer's Corner Next: Magic in Ura II by Sinthaster The Arcane Arts Magic is a facet of Uran life so strongly interwoven with the past yet so barely understood in the present. The following studies should alleviate this to the new acolyte of the arcane arts. This is merely an introductory text and should be read as such; magic is a complex force that cannot be properly analyzed in the confines of one man's perception. There are several forms of magic in the Wide Realms and beyond: Divine: Holy power given by gods and other ethereal beings. Druidic: Magic cultivated from Ura itself; the fingerprints of the gods creation can be touched and mended Dark: Gothkrissil’s foul corruption of his father’s work manifests as Dark magic, also known as the Dark Arts or Black magic. Forbidden by even the most liberal of magical practitioners. Draconic: Strange and truly evil magic. None dare tempt the deepest wells of knowledge that are the Serpentine Arts, lest their very souls be sundered. DIVINE MAGIC The act of Divine Magic involves the use of drawing ethereal energies from a spiritual source and using one’s own body as the catalyst for magical invocation. There are three main sources from which Divine Magic can be drawn: The Veil, Spirits and Gods, and the Soul. When drawing power from a divine source, care must be taken to not offend (sentient source) or damage (non-sentient source) the well from which one drinks. Divine magic only works so long as the channel between user and source is maintained. Should the flow be cut off, there is no way to use the power until all is put right. When drawing power from The Veil, a mage takes the energies laid by The Seven from the protective sheath over Ura. This magic is raw and unfiltered and can be used for a variety of different schools of practice. However, magic taken from The Veil will weaken it; though no one mage could ostensibly draw enough magic from The Veil to weaken it themselves, mages have been doing this for centuries, sometimes in groups. Because of this, all countries of Men in Lancerus forbid the use of Veil magic; anyone caught is sentenced to death. Divine Magic can also be given by Spirits of the worlds as an act of mutual gain, manipulation or appreciation. Evil spirits may attempt to use a magic-hungry soul to fulfill their own nefarious purposes. The Seven have servants that they trust and, due to the Godswalk, the power of these servants is beginning to grow once more. Priests of Fumna may heal small wounds, Nolwevans may be blessed with visions, and so on. Should the source of power be offended, however, the magic will cease. A Darkmoon Saint that has offended Húrin could not conjure the cantrip Húrin’s Gate (assuming they could before). Divine Magic is permitted in Lancerus, though only by those affiliated with an official Holy Order. Lastly there is one’s own soul. Because all Free Races of Ura have a soul, there is a divine shard within us all. This can be tapped to create magic that reflects the individual. Of the Free Races, Elves are the only ones that have managed to do this task well enough to be considered proficient; this is most likely due to the fact that Elves are spiritual beings that exist in both the Spirit World and the material one. Magic created always reflects the soul within; High Elves, for example, would almost always create pure, healing soul magic. Humans have a more difficult time with this and, because of the taint of the Dark Spirit, usually only create painful magic that can destroy. Dwarves have never been known to use soul magic, and Orcs may not even have a soul. Soul Magic, like Veil Magic, is strictly forbidden in all Human territories of Lancerus. DRUIDIC MAGIC Druids of the world are masters of drawing the energies from Ura herself to create magic. Druidic magic is recognizable due to its strong connection to nature. Though the world of Ura could be said to be alive, it has no ability to discern the intentions of a druid; there are good druids, neutral druids, and evil druids. Druidic magic is most often seen in the form of plant life, the culling or controlling of beasts of the world, or seeing through the eyes of creatures both near and far. Druidic magic is forbidden in all settlements of Lancerus; those that practice are secluded from civilization. DARK MAGIC The magic of Hasserra is thick with anger, jealousy and pride. It is a twisted incarnation of the All-Father’s magic; powerful, evil, and costly to use. Dark magic is only accessible to Humans, Uzhar, extremely powerful Orcs, and those who find dark artifacts of power. All three of the aforementioned races have some inherent connection to Hasserra; for Humans, the Dark Spirit. For Uzhar, artifacts of power and the memories of his enslavement of their race allow them to bend evil magic with some skill. For Orcs, their twisted existence seems enough for a truly powerful member of their race to call forth evil energies. Humans that exposed themselves to Dark magic seldom lived long. The use of evil energies amplifies the Dark Spirit within one’s soul, causing an imbalance that ultimately consumes the entire spirit. Dark magic is forbidden in almost all corners of the Wide Realms; those caught are almost always put to death. DRACONIC MAGIC The most mysterious, most powerful form of magic in existence did not get its beginnings in our world or any other known to Man or Elf. Draconic magic is linked directly to the souls of Dragons. Servants of the Terrible Wyrms have been known to wield raging fire, mind-siphoning lightning and corrosive weapons that burn the very soul. Draconic magic is terrible to behold but arguably equally terrible for the wielder. All Dragons are evil, and therefore all Draconic magic is evil as well. Fueled by the very soul of its user, the energies of the mighty Wyrms usually can only be called forth several times before a user is reduced to a blabbering mess, an empty, soulless husk or, most commonly, a pile of ash. The only human to ever accomplish Draconic magic successfully was Byrin the Dragonslayer and, in his entire life, only used the magic thrice. The third use is said to have killed him, though the legends change from country to country. Draconic magic is outlawed in all countries of the Wide Realms. Even servants of The Goth do not tempt Draconic magic as it is far too volatile. Should you choose to seek it out, do not even bother fearing the arm of the Law; you will be long dead before they even realize what you have done.